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By Dee Longfellow
FOR THE ELMHURST INDEPENDENT
Last week, a group of neighbors surrounding Redeemer Lutheran Church gathered to share their thoughts about the plans to remodel and reconfigure the area around the church and its Redeemer Center located on St. Charles Road, just east of York St.
Led by resident Mickey Muisenga, the group said there are key factors that are not being given serious consideration and represent a liability to the City and extreme concern to Elmhurst as a whole. Those factors include safety, “extreme” variances and parking summary produced by the applicant, which they claim has never been verified.
Also, people are concerned that the project will forever change the essential character of the neighborhood, in fact some fear a retail center might be built at the corner of York & St. Charles Road, making it look like the York & North Avenue intersection.
About the safety issue, the existing 67-car parking lot is often filled over capacity, forcing people to park on Kenilworth, according to the group. The plan for the new lot is to reduce by 22 spots, or 33% and it reduces the number of exits from three to one and traffic will exit onto one of Elmhurst’s busiest streets – St. Charles Road. The configuration of the new lot also poses major concerns for fire and life safety in that there are several 90-degree turns to navigate in the new lot and, they feel, puts serious liability on the City should there be a life-saving event at the Redeemer Center.
The neighbors also expressed concern that allowing seven variances is too extreme in an area zoned R-1. One posed the question, “What is the point of zoning laws if variances of this magnitude can be contemplated?”
Another concern is that the applicant is offering additional parking on the west side of the church by First Baptist Church, which, according to Muisenga, exceeds the distance requirement, is not owned by the applicant and is not bound by any long-term lease, which is supposed to be mandatory.
The church’s budget is $3.1 million to add an elevator and address accessibility issues. Muisenga said there was no opportunity for public comment or scrutiny. Overall, he said the RLC Budget shows questionable amounts for their needs, i.e., $1.2M for the elevator, $562,000 to remodel bathrooms, $42,000 for a sump pump and $500,000 in “soft costs.”
“The feeling is that the almost doubled budget, for arguable less work than the 2015 plan is being used to justify the applicant’s hardship and need to sell the 3 additional lots that are today its current 67 car parking lot,” he said.
Finally, the neighbors want to be clear that they are in no way opposed to the applicant selling off their land to raise the necessary funds to address their accessibility issues. According to neighbors, three Arlington lots can be sold with no variances and if made wider and less deep, will not only be code compliant, but also be of more value and help them accomplish their goals without negatively affecting the surrounding home property values, public safety, and the essential character of the neighborhood.
Due to press deadlines, this story is incomplete without input from the church. For updates to this article, please visit theindependentnewspapers.com later this week.
